State ex rel. Milwaukee Terminal Railway Co. v. Superior Court

On Rehearing.

[En Banc. Decided October 5, 1909.]

Per Curiam.

The respondent has filed a petition for a rehearing en banc, wherein it seeks to raise the question that the condemnation sought is for a private and not a public use. This question was not raised, either in the original briefs or in the oral argument, and was not considered by the court. The questions urged by the respondent were: (1) That the relator is not a railroad corporation within the meaning of the eminent domain statute; (2) that the property sought to be condemned was already devoted to a public use, and (3) that there was not a sufficient showing of necessity of appropriation. We cannot sanction the practice of permitting new questions to be raised in a petition for rehearing.

“It is the policy of the law to require parties to present all questions in the briefs originally filed, and not to permit new points to be made in the petition for a rehearing. The rule adopted pursuant to this policy is a salutary one, and one dictated by considerations of justice as well as of expediency. If parties were permitted to submit cases without pre*378senting all the material points a loose and slovenly practice would be encouraged, and the administration of justice would be delayed and embarrassed. To tolerate such a practice would impose the duty upon the courts of examining and deciding cases in detached parts, and thus delay decisions, produce confusion and encourage conduct not consistent with fair dealing and good morals.” Elliott, App. Proc., § 557.

The petition will therefore be denied.